Introduction to Broadcast Media

SESSION 6

Being an anchor or moderator

The Anchor is Crucial

The anchor plays a central role in the development and successful implementation
of a public forum. It is the anchor who sets the context, drives the discussion, and
engages the panelists and audience in an interactive dialogue. The anchor creates
the tone and mood of the program, enabling all the participants to feel comfortable
and involved.

Moderating a panel discussion

Whether it is part of a debate or panel discussion, anchors ostensibly are tasked

with overseeing and facilitating a conversation — without overtly contributing their
opinion or being a central part of the dialogue. They ask questions, solicit audience
feedback, keep an eye on how much time remains and try and keep the
conversation balanced between all panelists and experts. They're essentially the
ringmasters, keeping dialogue moving and emphasizing major points.
While this may seem like an easy task, the truth is that the anchor often has the
hardest job on the panel. It requires strong listening and comprehension skills,
patience, and focus. Here are a few tips to help when you take on the role of
anchor in a panel discussion:

Who should moderate?

The best anchors are individuals with a particular skill at drawing people out and
keeping a conversation moving along. Anchors are good listeners and assume
neutral, nonpartisan roles in the discussion.
Here are some qualities to look for in an anchor:
• Neutrality—make sure your anchor respects open dialogue and will
encourage a balanced view of the issues.
• Authority—the anchor must manage the speakers and control the audience—
timidity and gentility will not work.
• Confidence—the anchor should be at ease with the medium, the issues and
the format.
• Spontaneity—even the most rigid of event formats are not immune to the
unexpected, and flexible formats require fast thinking.
• Knowledge—the anchor should know the issues in sufficient depth to keep a
response or a discussion on target—if the format allows follow-up questions,
the anchor should know when the topic has been covered and when the
panelists’ positions are clear.
• Understanding—the anchor should take time to familiarize him/herself with
the goals of the forum.

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First you know about Television Working

An aspiring anchor or host must get familiarized with the working environment of a
television channel. It is important to know the mechanism of the pre-production
production, and the post production of any program live or recorded. When a
person has the idea of all the departments working in a TV Network, he would be in
much better condition to idealize his or her show. [CBS Broadcast]

Roles and responsibilities of the Anchor

1. Do Advance Preparation
Prepare yourself for a panel by first answering this question: “What are the goals of
all the key players involved — the organization running the event, the panelists and
the audience?”

2. Get presentation skills training

The problem with speeches isn’t so much not knowing when to stop, as knowing
when not to begin. This also applies to moderating a panel. Moderating is hard. If
you’re not up to it, don’t take the challenge, or get help. Although you aren’t the
star, your presentation skills need to be star quality. Your intro will set the tone.

3. Know Everything About Panelists

With any public speaking presentation, preparation is essential. In moderated panel
discussions, this is doubly crucial, since it's the anchor's job to ask questions of
panelists and demonstrate a depth of knowledge beyond what may be commonly
known or understood.

4. Know Everything About Your Audience

Audiences are looking for true insight into a panelist, so understanding their
expectations can help you go deeper into a topic or a panelist's background to keep
the conversation engaging. Preparation for the forum should include review of the
topics and current trends related to the topic such as polls, reports and other
materials that add depth to the anchor’s knowledge and understanding of the
themes.

5. Research the topic

Because the best way to sound like you know what you’re talking about is to know
what you’re talking about. Even if you’re an expert on the topic, you may need to
study the presentation styles of the panelists so you can better manage the
different personalities. Regardless of who selects the panelists, the anchor should
be fully informed about the background of the panelists and the issues to be
discussed during the forum.

6. Pre-Interview:
It is useful for the anchor to speak with each panelist prior to the program, in order
to determine what the panelist is likely to say and to explain the format and
direction of the program.

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7. Writing Introductory Materials:

Introductions can provide a vehicle for engaging the audience from the start of the
program. The anchor will be introducing each panelist and the general outlines of
the program as well as asking questions of the panelists and taking questions from
the audience. In preparing biographical material about the panelists, the emphasis
should be on short, interesting highlights of each panelist’s life rather than a long,
factual rendering of their life and work.

8. Preparing Questions:
Although each anchor will have certain key questions to ask, as prepared by the
organizers of the event, the anchor should still prepare additional questions, based
on the pre interviews, which elicit interesting opinions from the guests. Questions
should be short and only one point in each question.

9. Guiding the Panelists:

The panelists should understand that the format of these programs is
conversational and informal. Prepared texts are discouraged. The first round of
questions from the anchor should be broad enough to give each panelist a few
minutes to state his/her general views without encouraging a speech. Follow-up
questions from the anchor will enable the panelists to develop their views before
the audience come up with questions. General guidance is that the anchor and
panel talk for 20 minutes before opening the discussion to the audience for
questions.

10. Sit With Your Panelists

Putting yourself on the same plane as your panelists can help them feel more at
ease and make conversation more natural. Consider a seated panel with
comfortable armchairs instead of a table, which can act as a barrier between the
panel and the audience.

11. Go Over the Details with Panelists before You Begin

From technical details (like how the microphones will work and where the cameras
are), to a general outline of the proceedings, taking a few minutes to walk through
the details with your panel before you all take the stage can make them feel more
comfortable. Discuss the timing and the goal of being articulate, short, and succinct
in the answers. Point out the key members of technical support and reassure them
that if there are any issues, they will be resolved quickly.

12. Let the Audience In

A panel discussion isn't just a conversation between experts. (If it were, it would
take place privately.) Engage the audience. Make the audience want more because
the conversation is lively, the content is informative, and they’re a part of the
conversation. To get your audience engaged, acknowledge them and start soliciting
feedback almost as soon as the conversation begins. Ask questions that can be
answered by applause to liven up the room. If something is particularly funny or
unexpected, make a humorous comment to keep everyone involved in the
conversation.

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13. Taking Questions from the Audience:

The anchor should call on questioners from the floor, asking each questioner to
stand and identify themselves before asking a question. The anchor should
underscore the importance of short, concise questions, either directed to one
panelist or to the entire panel. In most cases there is a standing microphone in the
aisles. Find out beforehand how many microphones are being used. If necessary,
the anchor should repeat or reframe the question so it is clear. It is generally
assumed that, over the course of an hour, there is time for six to 10 questions
depending on the length of answers, etc. Give approximately 25 percent of the
panel’s total time to the Q&A.

14. Go Off Script

While hours of preparation can help give you the skeleton of what will occur in your
panel, be prepared to follow particularly fascinating conversational detours with
your panelists. Use your prepared questions as an outline and follow up on
surprising or unexpected insights that may arise naturally. Ask other panelists to
respond to particularly salient or controversial points.

15. Keep It Balanced

Give your panelists equal speaking time and allow each a designated time to
respond to a point that may have come up. Try to limit interruptions or interjections
by politely, but firmly, reassuring panelists that they will be given time to respond
later.

16. Facilitate the Conversation, Without Becoming Part of It

Anchors should avoid becoming too much of a part of the conversation. Even as a
trusted subject-matter expert, your job in the panel is to oversee, not be featured.
You are essentially taking on the role of a “presentation aid” to the panelists,
soliciting their expertise and experience, while largely staying out of the way. Ask a
question, and let your panelist expound on the answer. Don’t interject your
opinions as part of the dialogue.
Effective anchors stimulate lively, insightful conversation while taking a comfortable
backseat to the personalities audiences came to see. Listen carefully, respond
naturally, and take the temperature of the room to help create an unforgettable
panel discussion!

17. Know when to cut it off

While sometimes the magic is in an expert going into detail on a particular subject,
your job as anchor also involves knowing when it's time to move on. Practice
politely but definitively cutting off a panelist that is getting long-winded.
Summarizing or redirecting to a different question or point is a good way of doing
this without causing offense.

18. Keeping an Eye on Time:

It is the anchor’s job to keep track of time and to make sure all the issues are
covered. While audience participation is a main goal of the forum, it is also
important not to allow questions to veer off topic.

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19. Concluding Remarks:

The anchor must synthesize various points and bring the program to closure, re-
capping key themes and reviewing the goals of the forum.

Things to remember
• Employ humor if appropriate. Although the subjects are serious and heavy,
there is always room for some levity.
• Make sure everyone can hear the panelists and the audience questions.
• Use your prerogative as the anchor to ask a questioner to get to the point of
the question.
• Use your prerogative as the anchor to clarify the question or answer.
• Don’t become a panelist. Try to stay neutral.
• Display energy and personal engagement in the program.
• Use a warm, comfortable style that makes people feel at ease.
• Be familiar with the goals of The Show and its format and approach.
• Speak 10 percent of the time — the rest of the time is for the panelists and
the audience.
• Customize the flow and content of the panel discussion based on the
panelists and the audience. It’s not one size fits all.

If you are to select the panelists. They should be;

• Diverse. Make sure the panel represents the demographic of the audience
while ensuring a diversity of opinion and thoughts. A group that is in
complete agreement can make a discussion boring.
• Expertise. Invite a recognized authority or thought leader in the industry who
possesses strong credentials. That person must establish credibility with the
audience quickly via a biography or a 30-second introduction.
• Eloquent. Panelists should be good conversationalists. Do they speak well on
the phone? Did your interview with them produce a monologue or a
discussion? Review video footage of your potential panelists to make sure
they can keep the audience engaged and interested.
• Prepared. Panelists must be willing to make a few key points and tell stories
that illustrate those points. Preparation makes the difference between a
mediocre panel and an amazing one.

Use of Teleprompter
You must learn how to use one. It is an inverted mirror placed in front of the
camera that reflects the copy that the anchor is to read. The TelePrompTer, known
informally as “the prompter,” shows the anchor about five lines of copy at a time.
Each line consists of three to five words. The lines move upward. The camera sits
directly behind the mirrored glass where the lines appear. So, when you are
reading those lines, you are looking directly into the lens.
The exact copy of the prompter script is on the anchor desk or in the anchor’s
hand, if standing. Why does the anchor need a hardcopy script when they have the

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prompter? Is that just for show? No, anything mechanical can break down. The
prompter can stop rolling. So be prepared with your hard-copy script. The script is
an important backup that you as anchor should be ready to use in a graceful
transition so the viewers don’t know something went wrong.

The Hard Copy

Most anchors go through the broadcast before air reading the hardcopy of the
script. It’s certainly a good idea to go through the copy before you go on live
because the more familiar with the copy you are, the better you will do. Go one
step further, at least until you have been anchoring for say ten years. Mark your
copy as you read it in advance. Eventually, you will develop your own code. But
underlining ‘certain words’ is an obvious signal of emphasis. Some anchors like
using a curvy line for a different emphasis and others put a circle around words. It’s
up to you how to devise your signals but it is a good way for young anchors to dig
into the copy. What you will find as you become more comfortable in the anchor
chair is that you don’t need to look down at the copy to follow your marks. Just by
having gone through the copy you will have made yourself aware of how to read
the stories.
Some anchors like to note on the hard copy what kind of story it is, helping alert
them to the transition. One way is to draw a face at the top of the page. A smiley
face denotes a light story, a frowny sad face signals a hard news story.

But all your best efforts won’t stop things from going wrong. Most of what does
go wrong is out of your control, but making things look smooth through the crisis is
within your control. In fact, handling technical foul-ups or communication problems
is part of the anchor job description. Because “They don’t pay you for when things
go right, they pay you for when things go wrong.”
Maybe the sound is suddenly cut off, so that the people at home hear only silence.
You must know how to handle this and other difficult situations that will arise. When
the sound comes back on you might explain to the viewers, “There’s been a
malfunction in the works, we’re sorry that you had no sound. . . .” You should let
the viewer know what’s going on so they won’t think it is their television set or their
fault.

Double Anchoring
You may have a DOUBLE ANCHORING situation at some point sharing the show
with another anchor. Do your best to get along with your co-anchor. If you don’t,
one of you will have to leave eventually and that maybe you. In every profession
politics comes into play. You must respect your co-anchors and never put them
down or argue with them on camera. The two of you must really become a TEAM.
Find a relationship that works.

Your rhythms should be different. Don’t pick up your co-anchor’s pace, rhythm
or intonation. You must listen to the other anchor’s story just before yours. For
example: If your co-anchor is telling about an event and you have to introduce your
next guest, you should note that with your segue words into your next story. Note
that these may not be written into the script but you should be comfortable enough
to ad-lib them to smooth the transition from your co-anchor’s story.

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Also at the top of your story there should be contrasting rhythms, so that the
broadcast keeps moving forward and doesn’t become a boring monotone. If your
co-anchor doesn’t pick up where he or she should, it’s your job to move the
broadcast along smoothly. It’s bad form and viewers do not like it when one anchor
chides the other on a set.

This leads to the next point: YOU SHOULD KNOW EVERYTHING that’s in the script,
not just your stories or your questions. You need to be familiar with the entire
script. Another contrast comes within the broadcast stories — between the end of
one story and the beginning of the next. Double anchoring provides contrast
automatically.

HOSTING
Hosting encompasses a parade of jobs including hosting parades. The skills needed
as a television host are pretty much the same no matter what the hosting job; but
the job can vary from announcing a hot air balloon to announcing a hot summer
day. Talk show hosts are usually in a studio, either seated in a living room–type set
or standing in the audience. They can be Oprah on couches or serious news hosts
at a desk. Or they can be afternoon syndicated shows where the host urges on
some outrageous interview, often with audience participation.
Let us discuss in a question/answer pattern.

What are the skills a host should have?

 A good host definitely has a relationship with the camera. If you don’t have
that, you can’t be an on camera host.

 A host has to have interviewing skills because interviewing always comes into
play for a host eventually. By interviewing, we means listening and
responding. They are crucial for a sharp host doing a top job.

 If you’re not a good listener, even if you are hosting a parade, you’re not
listening to what’s going on — you are not going to be natural. Listening
forces you to stay natural and keeps you from self-consciousness.

 You have to be very in the moment.

 You must be comfortable thinking fast on your feet. You must have the
ability to grasp the subject, so you’ll never be at a loss for words.

Speaking Skills
You have to know how to speak well and know how to speak at a pace that is
proper . . . some people speak too fast, some people speak too slow. You must
have a well-trained voice. Not too high, not shrill and well modulated.You must
have a clear definition of who you are in front of that camera. You must have a
speech with no disorders.

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Smile When You Can

You have hundreds of different smiles and the right one, the appropriate one, will
be there for you. All it takes is being connected with the content you are telling.
There are always exceptions to our rules, and if you are talking about a tragedy you
don’t smile on your tag . . . you knew that, right?

Point of View or Proper Attitude?

There is a continuing debate about reporters and anchors carrying a bias. They do
not, for the most part. And they shouldn’t. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have an
attitude about certain topics you are discussing. There is a difference. Take an
accident as an example. How would you report it if it had happened to someone
you knew? Your attitude would reflect the story. You must care about the story you
are reporting. That’s the human element the anchor can bring. That’s what makes
you, as an anchor, relatable to the viewer.

Television isn’t like newspapers. In journalism classes you are told not to take any
side, not to have an attitude, to remain impartial. But on television you can have an
attitude because you are talking directly to someone who is looking at and listening
to you in the same moment that you are relaying the story. Someone who is at
home, in close proximity to you, reacting to you. Physically and emotionally your
attitude must be honest as well. Your attitude will change somewhat with each
story that you discuss.

Be familiar with the stories going on that day. You must be prepared if you are
handed an update during the show. Don’t look down when speaking. Look into the
camera in a forthright manner. Eyeball the viewer through the camera.

Know how loudly to speak.

Your microphone is close by. It is probably on your tie, or on your jacket lapel. Now
you know why anchors like jackets. There is an easy place on your clothing that
won’t fall down with the weight of the lavaliere mic that is clipped on to you. A
sweater or a silk shirt is pulled down by the weight of the mic.

Exercise for Subtext and Intentions

When telling a story, or asking questions, always use subtext or intention. It is not
only the words you use, but it’s also the intentions you choose. The intentions are
HOW you ask the questions. In real life you are always using intentions but you are
not conscious of them.
Here’s an exercise on intentions that my students enjoy. You’ll need that good
friend to help you. Tell them to, “Open the window.” Use those three words, no
more no less. Those are the only words you can use for this exercise.
 Order them to OPEN THE WINDOW.
 Scold them to OPEN THE WINDOW.
 Entice them to OPEN THE WINDOW.
 Share a secret to OPEN THE WINDOW.

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The words remain the same, but the intention changes. And when you speak in
order to affect another person (in this case, your viewer) you suddenly have instant
subtext. -Once you become aware of this you will notice how you use intentions in
your life. This is also a good technique to employ when you speak or share a secret
with your viewer, or teasing or exciting them about your story. Make your choice
and try it on, “OPEN THE WINDOW.”

Be a Type
People are looking for types: The nerdy guy with superior knowledge, the smart
and pretty girl, the smart guy, the fat girl, the old balding guy, the funny girl . . . if
you know you are a type, let it shine through.
Suppose you are looking for somebody to host a music show. It’s a music-based
show, so the idea is to find someone who knows about music and maybe is a little
bit of a celebrity, so we could get something written about the show. We would go
with someone who really know music or an expert in music. Sometimes we will
choose personality over knowledge. In that case, we will get a strong writer and
producer to work with that host.

Host with Grace

When something unexpected or newsworthy occurs during your event, DO NOT
IGNORE IT. You cannot ignore the crash of the balloons on the parade or the crash
of a light stand at a concert or a terrorist attack at a sporting event. This is not just
for your own credibility but much more important, for your viewers.
One thing to keep in mind that will help: If you are an outgoing person, then think
of yourself as hosting a dinner party. You greet your guests, you entertain them
and you say good-bye at the end. How you do this does matter. You need a
grabber when you introduce your guest and your show to the viewer.
When you are the host for your own show, you must bring more than just your
personality. You must envelop the viewers so they become intrigued and want to
continue in your company, even if they must sit through several commercials.
It is not enough to state that, “This is a very interesting woman.”You should make
the viewers think, “yes, this sounds like an interesting woman.”

Involved with you in a conversation. The same is true of your good-byes. You want
a strong close. Now that you have the viewers’ interest, since they watched your
fascinating show, you need to retain their loyalty. You don’t want to let them leave,
never to return again. Ideally you want to tease the upcoming show as specifically
as possible. If you don’t know what will be in your next show, be sure to close with
your warmest farewell so your viewers will want to visit you next time. You need to
retain your base viewership and hopefully increase it. Your viewers are your guests.
Treat them with generous hospitality and you will never lose them.

Checklist
A host should:
❒ Be dynamic on camera.
❒ Be a good listener.
❒ Have a well-trained voice.
❒ Promote your personality or type.

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❒ Be prepared to handle a surprise while live.

Exercises for Openings and Closings for Hosting

Openings
Choose a name for your own talk show. Make it snappy or have it say something
about your show. Choose a variety of fields. To practice, interview friends with
different interests. This is an exercise, so use several different people to stretch
your skills. Write three introductions for each guest: Make them different, keep
them short, be imaginative. Have fun with this. By doing this you will find the most
exciting way to grab your viewer. Find what will interest the viewers so they don’t
change channels before the interview starts.

Closings
The close comes after you have thanked your guest for appearing on your show.
Like the opening, it is spoken to the viewer directly into the camera. It is a one-
shot of you. The close should be short. It is an invitation back even if it is a ‘thanks
for watching’. It might tease the upcoming next show. Try three different closes:
One quite short, one a bit longer, one where you tease your next week’s program.

Vocal and Physical Technique

Once you’ve learned how to recognize and put together a fascinating story and
interview, then you must ask yourself: How do I tell it in front of the camera? This
is such a competitive business, in order to land the job and to move ahead to the
next bigger job, you must sound and look your best on camera. Not everything in
this section will apply to everyone, but all of you will benefit from some of it.

The Voice Itself

Become aware of what you can do to improve your voice: Its pitch, its tone and its
resonance. But you must be realistic when dealing with your voice. You don’t want
to become self-conscious or embarrassed. As you try new ways of using your voice,
that can happen. Many are shy about it. So accept the fact that you will probably
feel a little strange when you start to use these techniques as your voice becomes
richer and more resonant. Be willing to try your best. Practice these techniques
always out loud and loudly. When possible play it back and hear the new
adjustments in your vocal technique. One thing more: Just like any other skill, the
more you exercise your voice, the more natural it will become. It’s just like your
physical workout at the gym. Your body and your brain become familiar with the
weights, the exercises and the routines. If you are an anchor, your voice is about
70% of what you’ll be using on air. That means that your voice is most of your
identity on air.
So ask yourself:
 Does my voice express what I need it to, no matter what the subject or
situation?
 Is it authoritative and credible?
 Is it one that people will listen to?
 Is it the one that people will WANT to listen to?

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The answers to these questions must be YES. Your voice will help grab the viewers’
attention and hold their interest. How you express yourself vocally is of the utmost
importance. A person’s voice is like a thumbprint. It is unique to you, and only to
you. No one else sounds exactly the way you do.

Know Your Speech Flaws

Now is a good time to ask yourself: What does my voice sound like? You should
record something, it doesn’t matter what, but a good plan would be to read some
copy aloud. If you don’t have a script, read a newspaper article. Listen to your
voice carefully and critically. Note where it is weak. Be honest, not harsh.

Next, you should pay close attention to the speech patterns of the speakers you
love to listen to — that includes both on television and in films. Ask yourself: What
is it about their voices that I love? Is it a high voice or a low voice? Is it an unusual
or husky voice? Note whether he or she speaks quickly, or slowly. Note the pace.
Especially on television news, note how it changes inside a story, and from story to
story. Your voice should draw the viewer toward it. If you have a high, squeaky,
immature voice, or a nasal one, or one that is stuck in the back of your throat, you
need to fix it.

Breathing
You have to learn to breathe properly. Well, yes. You need to have enough breath
to speak for an extended time without taking lots of short breaths that will chop up
your copy and make it difficult to be understood by your viewer.

A Closing Thought
Most people in television call the audience “viewers.” They are after all, “watching
television.” However, the audience is involved through two senses. They LISTEN to
television, but they are not always watching. In the morning, you are making
breakfast or getting dressed or doing morning exercise, and if the television is on,
then you are likely to be listening and not watching. Viewers rarely turn down the
volume. All of this is to point out that your voice is far more important to the
“viewer” than anything else . . . even your appearance.

Checklist
❒ Practice, practice, practice.
❒ Your voice is who you are as much as your looks.
❒ Learn your flaws and fix them.
❒ Breathe correctly.
❒ Relax! Lose tension.
❒ Build resonance and correct tones.
❒ Find your optimum pitch.
❒ Avoid popping Ps, sibilant Ss and glottal Ls.
❒ Practice, practice, practice.

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